The software industry has seen great advances in distributed computing from both a client/server and software modeling perspective. The move towards network-centric computing, using the client/server architecture of the Internet, coupled with new software tools and component-based models, arm today's software developer with a distributed, object-oriented, infrastructure to easily access and manipulate business data.
In the early nineties, as client-server computing emerged; its more advanced software solutions introduced more intelligent links among clients and servers. Although it represents an improvement over earlier models, client-server computing still suffers from a number of drawbacks. For example, because information carried between clients and servers is usually transmitted over a proprietary protocol, each company tends to implement a closed solution, i.e. a solution which works only for the product of that particular company.
In the current scenario distributed component-based development and enabling solutions are changing the way information is discovered, built, managed and delivered. Organizations are investing in component-based technologies because they cannot afford to ignore the reductions in costs that the technology offers. As a method for delivering information to large numbers of end-users, the iterative process of building and deploying components are appealing when compared with the alternative of configuring every end-user system with application-specific client applications.
A reduction in overall costs is just one benefit. Other benefits include access to larger amounts of enterprise information for connecting the organization, delivering solutions and keeping pace with end-user demands and ever changing technology more effectively. Effective business processes require information, and the objective for the Information System (IS) organizations is to ensure that required information is available when it is needed.
Component-based technologies can embrace the entire realm of an organization's information infrastructure. Component-based technologies can take advantage of differing client platforms, diverse application environments and connectivity options.
The proposed invention relates to the field of streamlining the process of component development and maintenance in a component-based framework. It proposes a method that enhances the efficiency of the current technology and reduces its drawbacks.